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Episode 16: Welcome Back

In Episode 16, Mike, Adam, and Amy sit down with District Superintendent, Leigh Lewis, to share the new and exciting things happening in Triad as we begin the 18-19 school year! Topics discussed include enrollment, curriculum, staff, the Success Center, technology, the 1:1 initiative, Google Certified Educators, Twitter, and current events.

Leigh Lewis, District Superintendent

For starters, I am a proud alumni of Triad High School. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, a Master of Science degree in Education from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville and a Specialist in Educational Leadership from Saint Louis University. I started my career as a third grade teacher at Signal Hill Elementary School in Belleville where I also coached softball and cheerleading. In 1994, I took a position at Triad High School as an English teacher which led to several different administrative positions in the district beginning in 1997. The 2018-2019 school year is my twelfth year as Triad’s Superintendent. I have three children who have made a significant impact on my growth and development as a teacher and leader. Being a teacher was my dream as a child~follow your dreams!

Enrollment

Enrollment at Triad has increased by approximately 50-75 new students from the 17-18 school year and our total enrollment is nearing 4,000 students. Our 1st grade class is one of the largest ever with nearly 333 students. Enrollment at Silver Creek Elementary and C.A. Henning Elementary is expected to be nearly 800 students.

Curriculum

Amy shares that the elementary level is adding the Lucy Calkinswriting curriculum at grades 1 & 2. It consists of 4 units in a writer’s workshop style. Grades 3, 4, 5 will incorporate this new curriculum in subsequent years. The elementary level will also be using an updated version of MyMathwith upgraded online capabilities. At the middle school level, we will be using the updated version of Big Ideas and adding some new language arts units.

Staff

We have 24 new staff members to Triad this year including 3 new Interventionists who will work with small groups at the elementary and middle school level to give them extra support with reading, math and in the social emotional area. We have also added a social worker at the middle school to help with social emotional concerns like getting along with peers, social media, dealing with dynamics at home, transitioning to school, and how academics and school life impact each other.

Mr. Michael Speer, longtime middle school teacher/assistant principal/athletic director has moved to become the building principal at Marine Grade School.

The Success Center

Renee Voegele has moved to the new Success Center which is an alternative high school housed in the band building at Triad Middle School. She has a background in Special Education and has become the principal of the Success Center. The Success Center is for specific students that we knew that we could reach but not in a traditional high school setting. It is a smaller, more personalized high school experience that allows students to experiment with programs, internships, and credit recovery. Technology will be a focus at the Success Center.

Technology

Triad has an app that is available on both Androidand iOSplatforms. Our district websites also offer a wealth of information for parents & students. Information on how to download and set up the app can be found here.

All Kindergarten teachers were given a new Promethean ActivPanelwhich is the premium interactive display for immersive learning, providing a tablet-like experience at the front of the classroom. ActivPanel delivers the industry’s most natural writing experience for teachers and students to collaborate with ease. These new boards will allow student devices to connect to the board to display their learning as well as allows teachers to push out the content on the board to student devices. These panels replaced Promethean projectors that were approximately 10 years old.

1:1 Initiative

The 2018-2019 school year will be the one that Triad becomes 1:1 with Chromebooks for students in grades 2-12. Students in grades 6-12 will have the opportunity to take their Chromebook home as our district continues to strive towards 21st century learning not only at school but at home.

Google Certified Educators

Designed for educators and classroom teachers who wish to demonstrate proficiency in using Google for Education tools. The Google Certified EducatorLevel 1 status indicates that an educator is able to successfully implement G Suite for Education into their teaching practice in order to enhance teaching and learning. Triad currently has approximately 60 Level 1 Google Certified Educators in the district! Click hereto view Triad’s Google Certified Educators.

Twitter

Connect with us on Twitter! Follow the #triadproud and #TRIADvances hashtags to stay current of the great things going on in the Triad District. Be sure to check to see if your son/daughter’s teacher uses social media by checking out the Triad Staff Directory.